Commuters using the city's inner-ring toll road will have fewer points of access and exit next week after the Jakarta Police close three exits in the morning and one tollgate in the afternoon in a bid to reduce traffic congestion in the city's busiest business district.

Starting next Monday, motorists traveling from Cawang in East Jakarta toward the Semanggi cloverleaf in Central Jakarta will no longer be able to exit at Pancoran in front of the Bank Bukopin headquarters on Jl. MT Haryono or at Tegal Parang on Jl. Gatot Subroto, both in South Jakarta, between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. according to Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Rikwanto.

He told reporters that at the same time, the exit in front of the Dharmais Cancer Hospital in West Jakarta would also be closed.

The Semanggi 1 tollgate in front of the Crowne Plaza Hotel in South Jakarta would be closed from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. he said. During rush hour at that location city buses stopping for passengers and other vehicles crossing lanes to reach the tollgate or Plaza Semanggi Mall cause severe congestion.

'The temporary closure of the tollgate and exits will be conducted in cooperation with the city police, the Jakarta Transportation Agency and toll road operator PT Jasa Marga,' Rikwanto said.

Jasa Marga corporate secretary David Wijayanto said motorists driving from the Semanggi bridge toward Cawang could enter the toll road via the Semanggi 2 gate.

To expedite the flow of vehicles entering the Semanggi 2 tollgate, Jasa Marga would deploy 12 officers who would sell toll tickets directly to motorists in the queue, he said.

David recommended that motorists who usually exited via the Tegal Parang or Pancoran exits use the exit on Jl. Halim Perdanakusumah in East Jakarta or the one in front of the Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Rikwanto said the tryout was important to reduce extreme congestion in the city. 'These days, for example, bottle-necks at the exit [Dharmais hospital] cause long tailbacks affecting traffic flow from the airport [Soekarno-Hatta],' he said.

He said the tryout would be subject to evaluation, adding that if it did not work well, the gate and exits would be reopened as usual.

Transportation expert Tri Tjahjono praised the decision although its effectiveness in reducing congestion might be minimal due to Jakarta being so overcrowded.

Tri argued that the closures could cause long lines at the nearest exits and tollgates.

'Basically it [the closing] will only move the congestion from one place to another,' he said. (nai)

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